22 September 2009

After beating Valkyria Chronicles, I’ve been thinking about games replay value, since Valkyria Chronicles has that new game plus which bring out our spirit to replay this game again even after you beat the game. This post is discussing mostly about why we gamers want to replay a game, even after you beat it and other games are waiting. Anyway, the games we’ll discuss here are games with genre like RPG or adventure. Games with genre like fighting or Dynasty Warriors styled gameplay aren’t too relevant in this topic, so let’s just assume all the games here are RPG or Adventure.

First let’s find the reasons what kind of replay values games can give:

New Game Plus: you can restart a new game with new features that you can’t access in the first playthrough, some games give you chance to bring your level, items, skills, etc in the new playthrough.

Post end game: after you beat the story, you’ll enter a free roaming mode or something like that, this session gives you chance to find secrets and completing subquests.

100% completion: self explanatory, gamers want to get 100% completion of the game. Depending on the game, 100% completion can be achieved in post end game session, new game plus, or even the first playthrough. This reason is about how gamers want to replay because they missed something in their first playthrough even though they can get a hundred percent in their first game.

Alternate ending: yeah, beating a game the 2nd time to get another view on the ending.

Just plain nostalgia: easy to say, just for nostalgia, no other special reason.

I guess I’ll be ranting about each of them with more details. So just let’s move on…

Disgaea series secrets opened in NG+, the real game will begin after you finish the story.

New game plus is about how the game delivers more stuffs to find, beat, open, etc after the first playthrough is finished and you start a new one. So you have to do those stuffs while you’re trying to finish the second story playthrough. Sometimes the game gives you ability to bring all items, level, etc. MGS3, MGS4, and Valkyria Chronicles are games that give you ability to bring those achievement in the next playthrough.

So gamers want to play those games because they want to taste those secrets. Disgaea series are the type of games that is filled with secrets after you finish the first playthrough. FYI, Disgaea 1 and 2 requires you to restart to access the secret, but Disgaea 3 doesn’t work that way. Disgaea 3 can be included in post end game achievement games. Disgaea 2 secret characters can be accessed after you finished the first game, like Laharl and friends.

Valkyria Chronicles brings you Hard and Ex Hard skirmish. The game also brings you a chance to replay all mission so you can get A rank in each missions. But no other secrets and whatsoever.

I rarely replay a games because of this reason. Disgaea 2 is an exception i guess, because like i said before, the real game has just begun after the end of the story. Usually, games with new game plus is minimum on new secrets, and that’s the reason why i rarely replay a games just because it has a new game plus. How about you guys? What do you think about New Game Plus?

It’s Grand Theft Auto if you don’t know what i want to say.

Next part is worth to play, a post end game achievement. Different than the first reason, new game plus, post end game achievement doesn’t bore you with the same events / stories you saw in the first playthrough. Those secret stuffs appeared after you beat the game, but you don’t have to restart the game and replay and rewatch all the stuffs you’ve watch in the first playthrough.

Games like Grand Theft Auto series are popular with this replay value. You can do things to get 100% completion, like hidden packages, jumps, rampages, races, etc. After the story ends, you can pretty much roams anywhere you want. Midnight Clubs: Los Angeles also gives you chance like this, you can go anywhere, get any kind of cars you want, and beat those <enter car types here> kings and get a hundred percent.

Those 2 games above are examples of games that have post end game session, but have almost no new secrets opened after the main story ended. But game like Disgaea 3 has new secrets opened after the main story ended. Grandia Extreme also has new dungeon appeared after you beat the story. Gamers may want to beat those dungeons or obtain those secrets before they sell the game or just put it in the repository.

Well, yeah… the post end game achievement is one of my main reason why i tried to play the games even after i beat those games. Depending on how many secrets revealed i might change my mind. Midnight Club LA and GTA don’t really have something new, so i guess i won’t be playing with it for too long. But games with so many secrets like Disgaea 3 has can be attractive to me. IMO, post end game session is better than new game plus because you don’t have to worry about rewatching the whole story again. So how’s your opinion regarding post end game session?

Tales series or 100% completion after the first playthrough.

Next is about 100% completion. A hundred percent is different between each games. You can only get 100% in games like Tales series after you beat it once. So it was like 100% in the new game plus. Games with post end game session like Midnight Club LA, GTA, and Disgaea 3 also has the 100% after you beat the game. But the real 100% is about how you get all the things you can get BEFORE you beat the game.

So it’s like, get all items, skills, subquests, equipments, and all the stuffs you can get before you beat the game. Normally, you can do this in the first playthrough. I remembered i played over 60 hours in Kingdom Hearts 2 just to get 100% for the secret ending.

So what’s the replay value IF you can get the number in the first playthrough? Well… not all people can get that number in their first playthrough. So they want to replay it and get the number in second playthrough.

Here are examples of games with the 100% completion in the first playthrough: Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy 7 (don’t know the other series), Atelier Iris series, etc. You can get the 100% completion in the first playthrough, but if you failed or missed to get it, you can just restart the game, go for another try, and get the things you missed before.

Tales series are a very different examples. You can get most of the things in the first playthrough, but it still has the new game plus. As i remembered, Tales of Eternia has a new dungeon in the next playthrough. But in Tales of Abyss, only hardcore mode opened after you beat the game, no other stuffs.

Tales of Eternia bringing a lot of old memories to me. I still a n00b while playing the first ToE, so my target back there is just beat the story and nothing else. But after awhile i knew that ToE has so many potential in the game, so replayed it and beat it almost 100%, replayed it again for the new dungeon. I think this is the game where i spent so much time replaying.

I definitely wouldn’t want to replay a game just for 100% completion. Most gamers, including me, would like to try get 100% before they beat it, so it was like perfectionists who failed to perfect in their first playthrough would want to beat it again. So how about you? Do you want to beat the game just for 100% even though you knew you won’t get new secrets and stuffs?

Suikoden series, I’ve finished all of them and got the best ending except Suikoden 2.

And this maybe the other good reason why you want to replay the game again: alternate ending. Suikoden series are the games that popular with the endings. Each games always has these: 108 characters, one of your closest friend dead, and don’t let your character die at the battle. Target: best ending where you have to get all those character without dying and in the near end, you’ll have your friend revived.

So what if you failed to meet that requirement? Just beat it again! Easy! But it could take a lot of time to replay it again. You just have to beat it again with the condition met. A very potential reason to replay the game.

Most of you gamers, including me, would want to get the best ending at the first playthrough. But the difference is after that. Do you want to put the game off after you get the best ending, or want to play it again for the other ending (even the bad ending one)? For me, I’d stop after i got the best ending. Got more games waiting rather than rewatching the whole stories again. Maybe I’ll find a forum that discuss about the other ending and just read it just to let myself know what kind of stuffs lies in the other endings.

The last reason is simple, just plain nostalgia. That’s pretty much self explanatory… Maybe the gamers just want to remember the games they’ve played or whatsoever.

So the main question is: do you still want to spend your precious time, let the new games waiting, and replay your previous games because of those reasons? I won’t be bothering too much with my past games, except i have no more games to play with…

Phew, a pretty long rant here… Well yeah, that’s it for now… See you at the next post.

20 September 2009

After a week++ of absence, at last I’m back for another anime review! It’s Zero no Tsukaima: Princesses no Rondo turn this time. This anime is one of the 12++ anime series I’ve watched in my holiday. From those series, I’ve done only 2 reviews out of 12++, so yeah… basically this is the 3rd part of those 12 series, pretty slow huh!? Okay, then let’s get down to business.

Oh and don’t forget: SPOILERS WARNING!!!! Proceed with caution!

Tabitha got the most development in this season.

Zero no Tsukaima 3 story is pretty much short, with only 13 episodes you can’t really expect much plot twist here. Most of the episodes were wasted with fanservices and stuffs, leaving only 2-3 episodes near the end for the real story. The main concern in Zero 3 story is Tabitha and the main antagonist: Tabitha’s uncle (? *CMIIW*). Saito and friends already knew who and what are they up against. And yeah that’s it… The enemies managed to flew and Saito succeeded in saving Tabitha.

So yeah, Zero no Tsukaima 3 is low on plot development but high on fun. More fanservices, more harem, more action, and definitely more fun, unlike the previous season which filled with too much politics and low number of action and fun.

In this series, there were 2 more characters introduced: Tiffania Westwood and Irukuku. Tiffania was the forest fairy who saved Saito from death in Zero no Tsukaima season 2. Irukuku was Tabitha’s familiar in her human form –pretty sexy, i guess-.

Oh and apparently, Louise managed to learn about her void magic and she could control it perfectly, except her magic power wasn’t strong enough to handle such great magic (not enough MP XD).

Judging from the ending of this series, we definitely ARE waiting for the next season to air and looking forward for the continuation.

Saito’s harem, 3 melons and 2 strawberries.

The worst thing here is… Saito got more harem! He became even more popular, he got more girl, plus the girls became even more attracted to him. Let say you’re Saito and now you’re at the end of this season, then you can do these things:

Make love with Louise

Grope or even have sex with Tiffania

Kiss Henrietta

Make love with Siesta

Go out or even make love with Tabitha

I thought he’s loyal with her girl in the first season, but no… Now he’s just a bastard with a lot of cute, beautiful, sexy and dynamite girls loving him. XD

More fanservices!!!

Putting aside the harem, Zero no Tsukaima 3 is also filled with fanservices. Watched the OVA? Yeah… You could see almost all of Zero 3 girls in bikini, very very very sexy bikini. Need more? Don’t worry… There’s still onsen scene featuring Tiffania and Louise yuri action plus nude Tabitha. Still want more? Get a Zero no Tsukaima hentai doujinshi dude. XD

Yuri kisses found in this anime!!! That was really hot!

I forgot whether Agnes involved or not, but i know the best episode for me is the episode where Siesta tried to seduce Saito with love potion. But no… the best part isn’t Siesta, but when the love potion effects were already spread wide! Yeah, 4 girls got affected, and they were involved in some hot yuri chasing and kissing! I LOVE this episode! XD

Bonus: Louise gothic version.

Well, yeah, that’s all for now! As a bonus, an illustration of gothic Louise. I got the figure of Louise in this outfit, go check it out if you want. And yeah… this is it! See you at the next post!

08 September 2009

Ouch… some school works forced me to make a week of pause between my last post and this post. Well whatever, this time i bring you another set of figure photos for one of my favorite figure: Suzumiya Haruhi Gekisou version. Get yourself ready for a total of 30 photos of the figure.

Max Factory manufactured this.

This figure is manufactured by the best figure manufacturer ever: Max Factory. I know MaxFact can create such wonderful masterpieces. But lately I’ve been disappointed by MaxFact. I don’t know how you guys feel with figma, but i guess MaxFact has been too focused with their “side” projects or even made this “side” projects become their main projects, and left the PVC building as the side projects.

Why make figma if they can produce something great like this?

As i said before, i don’t know how you guys feel with figma. Maybe some of you were happy collecting figma because of its posability, its cheap price, and most figma models came from popular characters. IMO, MaxFact is “wasting” their skills on projects like that, while us (or me?), static PVC lovers, left unserved, and maybe start to lean to other great manufacturer like Alter. Please do excuse me for saying things like this, especially if you’re a figma lovers, I’m just trying to express my feeling.

SOS-dan + concert = GODLIKE!

Enough about MaxFact ranting, let’s get into the figure. As you may know, around July 2007, there’s a big concert of Suzumiya Haruhi, called Suzumiya Haruhi no Gekisou. Its filled with Haruhi songs goodness like God Knows, Hare hare dance, etc. This Haruhi and her outfit came from the official promotion illustration of that concert. I saw that picture and thought about how great SOS-dan girls in those outfit. And 2 years later, the figures were at last released.

Cheerful and full of spirit Haruhi, well it’s her concert spirit after all.

Haruhi came with a different hairstyle this time. Yes, dig out some illustration of the concert and you’ll know that Haruhi had a different hairstyle. It’s very detailed, with that tied part of her hair and her ahoge. Her face? Just as usual, it’s the full of spirit and cheerful Haruhi we all know. She looks soooo great! Totally perfect!

The best Haruhi ever.

Max Factory’s sculpt is as usual almost perfect. I said almost because there maybe a few little unexpected flaws lurking around. But as usual, it looks better than the other. This maybe the best Haruhi figure ever released, except you prefer the school uniform better, then get the Alter or the old Max Factory version.

Nice eyes.

Max Factory really brought us the Gekisou concert spirit to our home via this figure. It’s all written on her full of spirit face. Oh, and her eyes, MaxFact produced the best eyes of figure IMO. Those eyes can give a live and sparkling feeling, and figures from other manufacturers can’t bring that in their figures (including Alter).

A side view of half of her body.

The minus part of this figure is the pose. Although Haruhi is in a concert, she doesn’t have that dynamic pose like Alter figures have. An even more energetic pose or dynamic pose can add up the joy of the concert.

Haruhi Gekisou concert… is it good? Never watch it.

I myself never watch Aya Hirano in that gekisou outfit, and that means i never watch the gekisou concert. So i can’t really compare this figure with the real world result. But, I’d love to see if there’s a video of Haruhi (anime version) singing God Knows in those concert getups.

The microphone.

She’s the vocalist, so she got this microphone hanging behind her right ear. Looks great for a concert accessory.

Her hair, around 60 degrees above.

A view from above, to get a clearer view around her hair. That ahoge really stands up. I never see any Haruhi with ahoge in the anime. I don’t know how she does her hair but making that ahoge stands out is pretty hard XD . Anyway, even with that new hairstyle, she still wears that Haruhi’s favorite hairband, except this time her side ribbons aren’t there.

A view from the back.

Her outfit is pretty revealing, especially around her shoulder and stomach. The skirt and the frills on the edge of her tank top give a gothic feeling for Haruhi. It’s not a totally gothic Haruhi though. Similar to Mikuru, it has frills around the edges of her clothes and layered skirt.

Nicely done!

Her upper body is surprisingly revealing. Her arms and stomach aren’t covered at all. They got a pretty nice design on the tank top, especially by adding frills around the edges. Nicely sculpted around here, and it’s pretty detailed on the wrinkles right below her boobs.

Cross necklace.

I’m a Catholic and Cross is a symbol of Catholic, so why Haruhi wears this? I thought she’s the God never knew about her religion in the anime. But above all that, this necklace is pretty nice accessory! If you noticed even deeper, there are another necklace and a belt choker on her neck. The other necklace is permanently sculpted on the body, it’s not separated like this necklace.

Ideal boobs for girls around her age.

Nice boobs, but not maximized. I know MaxFact did this because they want to keep Mikuru’s boobs as the biggest boobs in the gekisou set XD . Overall, Haruhi still got a nice boobs, you can still feel it and t** f***ed by it. It has nice size, but her cleavage isn’t revealed unlike Mikuru.

Her right arm.

Her right arm got this red long armband covering her lower right arm and half of the upper right arm. And she’s also tied with some black belts around her arms. Just accessories to keep synchronized with the official illustration i guess.

Her right hand.

And her right hand with red guitar pick on it. It’s a pretty small part, and it’s prone to small paint flow. Yes… small paint flows do happen even in MaxFact’s products. The other bad part here is her fingernails aren’t painted, it’s not that bad but it could add the fun factor of a figure.

Her left arm.

Her left arm, which has nothing on it except that black thing on her upper arm. It’s the part of her tank top. I guess that’s all for the left arm.

Her left hand, handling the guitar keys.

And this is her left hand which handles the guitar keys. Sorry i don’t know anything about guitar, so i can’t tell you much about the guitar and all, do correct me if I’m wrong regarding this guitar parts, because after this, we’re moving to the guitar parts!

The guitar of Haruhi Suzumiya.

And this is the guitar, her famous guitar. She played using this guitar once in the first season episode 12 “Live A Live”, singing God Knows. That scene is the best scene I ever watched and that scene burned to my heart. I will never ever forget that scene. Anyway, the guitar is pretty detailed and has nice paintjobs on it. Great job MaxFact!

Italia Mondial Classic.

Did a little search while writing this and i found something interesting from Sankaku Complex. It is said that Haruhi’s guitar is Italia Mondial Classic, and Yuki’s white guitar is Gibson SG Special White while Yui’s guitar is GITAAHHH!!! . Anyway, those guitar chords are real strings, don’t know if they’re just a string shaped plastics or a real string, but unlike Chua Churam’s guitar they’re not sculpted on the guitar.

Nice layered skirt, also gives a gothic feeling.

We’re done with guitar and moving on the skirt part. It’s a pretty unique skirts. It has 3 layers, the first layer is semi invisible, and the front skirt length is far shorter than the back length. It’s easier to peek below! XD

Her left leg.

Her left leg has a shorter sock compared to her right leg. It’s colored green, has some patterns, a ribbons, and frills on the edge. Those frills also give the gothic feeling for this figure. Anyway, the right leg’s sock is pretty long it reached her thigh, too bad i didn’t take a photo of it.

Her left shoes.

And this is her left shoes. The sculpt is greatly done! Yeah, and it looks shiny, as good as new, nice paintjob especially by adding that glossy effect.

A high angled photos for you.

That’s all the details parts, and here we go, a full view of this figure from above. Looks pretty normal, and no cleavage revealing for you. The parts that stand out here are her guitar and her skirt.

The mandatory pantie shot!

Ahem… Now you see it! It’s a pretty normal white pantie, and it’s already my job to bring a mandatory pantie shot for you otakus! XD

Blue light!

As to make a concert feeling, i tried to experiment with my wireless flash. It’s easy to make this color effect as long as you have a wireless flash set. Just prepare a colored carton / paper / cloth / whatever you have. Put it in your mini studio as the exchange of your reflector. Do your shot, and done! You got your colored effect photos. I know maybe some of you would like to do that in Photoshop, but I was pretty lazy for Photoshopping and chose this way instead.

Green colored!

Got a total of 4 photos with color effects, and each photos have different colors. This time is green. I also took this chance to experiment with some angles i didn’t take in photos above.

Pink colored!

Pink carton isn’t too strong to reflect weak flash, so i had to fire a stronger flash and the result is this. It’s a pretty harsh light result from Haruhi’s right hand side considering the flash was already reflected.

Red colored! And POI: gekisou!

And the last is IMO the best color effect I’ve done, just like Fate Testarossa photos. Oh and the POI of this figure is the “Gekisou” part. Everyone bought this figure because she got concert costume, guitar, and got the concert feelings in it. And that’s the best selling part of this figure.

That’s it for my review. For other reviews, you can go here (I’ve listed some):

05 September 2009

A very great news for you otakus, i found something very interesting. You remember this epic win picture right? We all know that this picture is pretty small even for 1024x768px wallpaper. And the great news is: i found the vectored wallpaper version of this picture. It’s not really a wallpaper size though, but it’s pretty huge for any kind of monitor (3000x2125px). Anyway, i don’t know if this is a widescreen or normal screen size, just try and stretch it on your monitor right away.

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About Me

I'm just a college student, specialized in informatics engineering.
Studying in iSTTS, a good informatics college in Surabaya.
I'm also a photographer, but still in beginner level.
Of course, i also have other hobbies, that is anime and games.
As for anime, other than watching animes and reading mangas, i also collect anime figures, and i do figure photography too.